Type-writer desk and the like.



F. P. HARRIS. TYPE wRnER DES'K AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, l9l3.

Patented Dec. 5,1916. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I Fig.2

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F. P. HARRES.

TYPE WRITER DESK AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, I913.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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FREDERICK P. HARRIS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TYPE-WRITER DESK AND THE LIKE.

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Application filed May 2, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK P. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writer Desks and the like,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to typewriter desks and the like, and its aim isgreater serviceability and convenience in such articles.

Typewriter desks, tables, and the like are ordinarily made with meansfor mounting and supporting the typewriter and for more or lessinclosing it in the desk so that it may be out of the way when not inuse, such means being in part movable to open up and expose thetypewriter for use and usually including a typewriter platform orcarrier shiftable to bring the typewriter from within the desk intoconvenient position for use, and vice versa, and also a movable cover orthe like for protecting and concealing the typewriter when in the desk.The means in question, including the portion of the desk involved, isvery commonly known as the typewriter cabinet. While such typewriterdesks usually have drawers for containing stationery, papers, etc, thesedrawers are not as convenient as is to be desired in view, for example,of the variety, and number of sheets of typewriter and carbon paperoften required for a singleletter.

In accordance with my invention, 1 provide the typewriter desk, table,or the like with a cabinet or the like for containing stationery,papers, etc., which is intended to be in a position above the top of thedesk where its contents will be conveniently accessible when thetypewriter is to be used and at other times to be in a differentposition where it will leave the desk with a clear, free top surface, sothat the desk may be capable of the fullest use as a table. Thisstationery cabinet or case may be arranged to descend from its positionabove the top of the desk to an out of the way position below the same.For moving the case I provide operating means connected with a movingpart of the typewriter cabinet means in such a way that the case isbrought into the position first above mentioned when the typewriter isbeing opened up, and vice VGISQ T have hereinafter described illustraSpeeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 765,062.

tive embodiment of the invention in which the typewriter cabinet meanscomprises by way of cover a movable desk lid that when closed overliesthe typewriter, and in which the case is within the desk when in its outof the way position and moves up and down through an opening in the topthereof; but while the invention extends even to specific features anddetails of this embodiment, it is not confined thereto.

Various advantages obtainable through or in connection with my inventionwill become apparent from the following description, while its scopewill be indicated in my claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a deskconstructed in accordance with my invention, the lid being open and thecabinet in elevated position. Fig. 2 is mid-section through the portionof the desk where the typewriter is to be located, showing the operatingmechanism oi the desk lid and also that-by which the cabinet is raisedand lowered, a portion of the desk being broken away in order that someof these parts may be visible and certain parts being for the samereason omitted,the desk lid being closed. Fig. 3 is a similar view, thedesk lid being open. Fig. 4 is a sectional view at right angles to Figs.2 and 3, the desk lid being open.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the typewriter desk shown is of anordinary type in which the typewriter space is at one end of the deskand the other end contains drawers. As will also be seen from thesefigures, the stationery cabinet 1 is arranged at one side of thetypewriter space, at the end of the desk where the drawers 2 arelocated, the drawers being made somewhat shorter than usual in orderthat there may be space for the cabinet behind them when the desk lid 3is closed. The desk lid 3 and the movable table or platform .L to whichthe typewriter (not shown) is to be secured may be mounted, arranged,and connected in any well known or approved manner, the most commonpractice being for them to move interdependently and both swingvertically in the typewriter space.

As shown, there are a pair of links 5 pivoted to the lid 3 near itsfront edge at 6 and to the walls of the typewriter space near the top ofthe at, t, and thereare also a pair of matters pivoted to brackets on rlid near its rear edge at 9 and pivoted to the walls of the typewriterspace somewhat lower down at 10. In opening and closing, the lid 3swings on these link members 5 and rocker members 8. As for thetypewriter platform 4, it is secured to a pair of brackets 11 which arepivoted at 12 to the front leg posts at opposite sides of the typewriterspace, and to these brackets 11 are pivoted at 13 links 14 which are inturn pivoted at 15 to the lower arms of the rockers 8. WVhen, therefore,the lid 3 is. swung downward into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3the typewriter platform 4 swings up into the position shown in thesesame figures, and when the lid 3 is swung up to the closed positionshown in Fig. 2 the typewriterplatform 4 swings downward beneath it intothe position shown in that figure, and the typewriter on it is thusshifted and inclosed within the desk. To balance the weight of thetypewriter and facilitate the opening of the lid 3, etc., acounterbalance spring 16 may be connected between one or both of thebrackets 11 on which the platform 4 swings and the adjacent wall of thetypewriter space so as to be compressed when the lid 3 is closed andexpand when it is opened. Buffers 17 are also provided to cushion thelid as it comes to rest in the position shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4.

Referring, now, more particularly to Figs. 2-, 3,and 4, it will be seenthat the cabinet 1 is arranged to move up and down to one side of theplane of swing of the desk lid 3 and the typewriter platform 4, and thatwhen raised it is at the right of the typewriter space with a convenientsurface in front of it for assembling typewriter paper and carbon paper,etc. The cabinet 1, is shown as opening at its front side, so that thesheets can be drawn from its shelves of pigeonholes and assembled withthe utmost convenience and despatch, and as being fully opened andexposed by the mere act of raising it. As shown, the cabinet 1 is raisedand lowered by means of a lazy tongs or Jacobs ladder 20 operativelyconnected with the lid 3 through a. connection comprising certain partsof the typewriter cabinet mechanism above described. 7 As will be seenfrom these figures, and particularly from Fig. 4, the upper end of thelazy tongs 20 is pivoted at 21 to a pair of brackets attached to thebottom of the cabinet, and the ends of the lower links 22 and 23 of thelazy tongs are pivoted at 24 and 25 to adjacent crank arms 26 and 27respectively. The crank arm 26 is mounted andsecured on a hollow shaftor sleeve 28, and the crank arm 27 is mounted on a shaft 29 fittingsnugly but not tightly within the sleeve 28, these parts 28 and 29having their bearings in brackets 30 and 31 secured to the'bottom 32 ofthe desk and extending i from the typewriter space' beneath thecabi-.

net. On the other ends of the sleeve 28 and of the shaft 29 respectivelyare mounted and secured apair of crank arms 33 and 34, and to thesecrank arms are pivoted at and 36 the ends of links 37 and 38 whose otherends are at 39 pivoted together and to a short link 40 which is in turnconnected to the lower arm of the right-hand rocker 8 above mentioned bymeans of the same pivot 15 by which the link 14 is pivoted thereto. Theresult of this arrangement is that when the desk lid 3 is opened up andthe typewriter raised into position for use the lazy tongs 20 areextended and the cabinet 1 is raised above the top of the desk, and thatwhen the lid 3 is closed the cabinet 1 sinks down till its top is flushwith the top of the desk and it is completely inclosed therein.

The cabinet 1 may advantageously be guided in its up and down movementsby brackets 42 attached to its bottom and having downwardly extendingarms with portions adapted to slide between ways 43 on the oppositewalls of the cabinet space or recess within the desk. To balance theweight of the cabinet 1 and facilitate its operation, a spiral counterbalance spring 44 may be employed. As shown, this spring 44 is arrangedbeneath the desk and is anchored by a bracket 45 secured to the bottom32. The free end of this spring is con nected to a rod 46 at 47, and theends of this rod are connected by flexible cables or cords 48 and 49with the brackets 42. As shown, the front cable 48 passes first around apulley 50, then back around a pulley 51, up through a hole in the bottom32 and over pulleys 52 and 53, and finally down to a fastening 54 on theleft-hand bracket 42, while the rear cable 49 merely passes first arounda pulley 55 behind the pulley 50 and then directly up over a pulley 56and another pulley (not shown) behind it and down to a fastening 57 onthe right-hand bracket 42. When the'cabinet 1 is raised by the openingof the lid 3, the spring 44 will contract and aid in the risingmovement, and. when the cabinet 1 is lowered the sprin 44 will beextended and so cushion the descent.

As the cabinet 1 is moved positively both ways by the operating meansabove described and is accurately guided in its m0vement by means of thebrackets 42 and their ways 43, there is practically no chance for it tostick or become jammed.

There is no difiiculty in avoiding interference between the case and anyof the moving parts of the typewriter cabinet, for the movement of theformer takes place entirely outside the range or scope of movement ofthe latter.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates:

1. In a typewriter desk, the combination of typewriter cabinet meansadapted to inclose the typewriter in the desk comprising a movable coverfor protectingand concealing the typewriter when in the desk and atypewriter platform shiftable to bring the typewriter from within thedesk into convenient position for use and vice versa, a laterallyopening case separate from the aforesaid movable parts arranged to moveup and down outside their range of movement from a position below thetop of the desk to a position above the top of the desk and vice versa,and means for raising and lowering said case so connected with one ofthe aforesaid moving parts of the typewriter cabinet means that the caserises when said part is moved to open up the typewriter and descendswhen said part is moved for closing the typewriter.

2. In a typewriter desk, the combination of typewriter cabinet meanscomprising a movable desk lid and a movable typewriter platformoperatively connected together so that when the lid is opened thetypewriter is brought into convenient position for use and that when thelid is closed the typewriter is shifted and inclosed within the desk, alaterally opening case separate from the aforesaid movable parts,arranged to move up and down outside their range of movement from aposition within the desk to a position above the top of the desk andvice versa, and means for raising and lowering said case so connectedwith a moving part of the typewriter cabinet means that the case riseswhen said part is moved to open up the typewriter and descends when saidpart is moved for closing the typewriter.

3. In a typewriter desk having in its top a typewriter space opening andanother opening, the combination of typewriter cabinet means adapted toinclose the typewriter in the desk when not in use and to open up andexpose the typewriter for use, said means including a movable lid forthe typewriter space opening; a laterally opening case arranged to moveup and down through said other opening in the desk top from a positionbelow the top where it closes said opening to a position above the top,and vice versa; and means for moving'said case so connected with amovable part of the typewriter cabinet means that the case is broughtinto its first mentioned position when said part is moved to open up thetypewriter and into its last mentioned position when said part is movedfor closing the typewriter.

4:. In a typewriter desk having in its top a typewriter space openingand another opening, the combination of typewriter cabinet meanscomprising a movable lid for the typewriter space opening and a movabletypewriter platform operatively connected 0 together so that when thelid is epened the typewriter is brought into convenient position for useand that when the lid is closed the typewriter is shifted and inclosedwith in the desk; a laterally opening case arranged to move up and downthrough said other opening in the top of the desk from a position withinthe same substantially flush with its top surface to a position abovethe same, and vice versa; and means for raising and lowering said caseso connected with a movable part of the typewriter cabinet means thatthe case rises when said part is moved to open up the typewriter anddescends when said part is moved for closing the typewriter.

5. In a typewriter desk, the combination with a desk lid mounted andarranged to swing on a plurality of members pivoted thereto and at thesides of the typewriter space and a movable typewriter platformoperatively connected with said lid so that when the lid is opened thetypewriter is brought into convenient position for use and that when thelid is closed the typewriter is shifted beneath the same, of a casearranged to move from a position below the top of the desk to a positionabove the top of the desk and vice versa, and means for moving the casepositively both ways so connected with one of the members on which thelid swings as aforesaid that the case is brought into its position abovethe top of the desk when the desk lid is opened and is returned to itsposition below the top of the desk when the lid is closed.

6. In a typewriter desk, the combination with a movable desk lid and amovable type writer platform operatively connected together so that whenthe lid is opened the typewriter is brought into convenient position foruse and that when the lid is closed the typewriter is shifted andinclosed in the desk, of a case arranged to move up and down at one sideof the typewriter space from a position within the desk to a positionabove the top of the desk and vice versa, two shafts extending from thetypewriter space beneath the case, crank arms on said shafts, a lazytongs connected between said crank arms and the case, and means soconnecting said shafts with one of the aforesaid movable desk parts thatwhen the desk is opened the lazy tongs are extended to raise the caseand that when the desk is closed the lazy tongs are contracted to lowerthe case.

7. In a typewriter desk, the combination with a desk lid and atypewriter platform mounted and arranged to swing vertically in thetypewriter space of the desk and operatively connected together so thatwhen the lid is opened the typewriter is brought into convenientposition for use and that when the lid is closed the typewriter isshifted and inclosed in the desk, of a case arranged to move up and downat one side when said part is moved for closing the 10 of the typewriterspace and of the plane of typewriter. swing of the aforesaid parts froma position In witness whereof, I have hereunto set within the desk to aposition above the top my hand this 30th day of April, 1913. of the deskand vice versa, and means for raising and lowering the case so connectedFREDERICK HARRIS with one of the aforesaid swinging parts Witnesses:

that the case rises when said part is moved JOHN HENRY ANDERSON,

to open up the typewriter and descends LORETTA C. SHIELDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

